Category Archives: Progress

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Some Progress Evident In LaSalle County, One Week After Deadly Tornado CBS Chicago (CBS) A week after a deadly tornado ripped through Ottawa and Naplate, some progress is evident as the LaSalle County communities rebuild hard-hit areas. CBS 2 Meteorologist Ed Curran returns to the region, about 85 miles southwest of Chicago. and more »

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Some Progress Evident In LaSalle County, One Week After Deadly Tornado - CBS Chicago

Grizzlies forward Chandler Parsons was hard on himself after playing a back-to-back for the first time this season. Ronald Tillery/The Commercial Appeal

Dallas Mavericks' Seth Curry (30) defends as Memphis Grizzlies forward Chandler Parsons (25) moves to the basket for a shot during the first half oin Dallas, Friday, March 3, 2017.(Photo: Tony Gutierrez/AP)

Some post-weekend Grizzlies thoughts:

Parsons Progress: Chandler Parsons played his first back-to-back of the season, and his second most individual-game minutes of the season against Dallas, with 9 points on 4-16 shooting in 44 minutes over both games and the same physical limitations weve seen all season.

Was simply playing the back-to-back a sign of progress, as it was touted, or a sign of the team trying to force some progress as the clock ticks toward the playoffs?

The storm and stress surrounding the Parsons question is getting a little tiresome. Its not about his now-dormant social media, his off-court adventures, how hard he works, how early he shows up or how late he stays at practice, or whether shutting down for the season would be theact of a coward, to choose his own word. This is not an issue of morality or machismo. Its a simple two-part question: 1. Is Parsons healthy enough to be on the court? The answer to that is apparently yes. 2. Is he healthy enough to help the team when hes there? So, far the answer to that is no, with no particular reason to believe that will change in the next few weeks. And yet context complicates.

One thing that props up an apparently indefinite patience with Parsons lack of progress is the battery of alternatives. Last week in this space, I worked through some lineup alternatives, which on the wing would mean James Ennis, Vince Carter, or Troy Daniels. None of them, at this stage, should be a starter on aplayoff team.

Theres a two-part opportunity cost to continuing to play Parsons despite his ineffectiveness: 1. That the team has consistently been worse with Parsons on the floor than with the players who would take his minutes, and the games now matter if the team cares about maximizing its playoff seeding. 2. If Parsons is still this player come mid-April, its hard to believe hell maintain this role in the playoffs, so the team is just delaying the process of settling on the lineup and rotation it will use in the postseason and getting that rotation some reps.

If were making this about the team, and not about Parsons, which is how the discussion should be centered, then theres this counter-argument in favor ofthe status quo: The alternatives arent much better than even the current Parsons. Carter and Daniels have each shot below 36 percent over their past 10 games, in a rotation role, and each has definite limitations at full health. Daniels isnt just squeezed by Parsons, but by Toney Douglas taking over a big chunk of back-up scoring guard minutes, a development that is lessabout Douglas individual production than abouthow his ball-handling has helped maximize Mike Conleys impact. Ennis has mostly been out of the rotation lately, but his own limitations are exposed when he gets heavy minutes.

The math for Parsons at this point: That the slim chance of him yet improving with playing time presents a greater path to post-season upside than the minor improvements to be found in benching him. No one with the Grizzlies is going to put it that plainly, but thats the calculation, and it could well be the right one.

A Two-Man Game Wed Love to See: In the playground of our dreams if not on an NBA court.

Other Weekend Notes: Both weekend losses are easy to rationalize individually: This Dallas Mavericks team, with Nerlens Noel, Seth Curry and Yogi Ferrell all in the lineup, is far better than the teams full-season record indicates, and even that record is good enough to be in the playoff hunt. A four-point loss on the road to that team is no disgrace. Neither is running out of gas on the second night of a road back-to-back against a relentless Rockets team.

The problem with that, as noted after last weekends road split: Acceptable isnt good enough if the Grizzlies still harbor hopes of moving up in the Western Conference playoff race. Record-wise, the NBAs three best teams are all in the West, and getting into the 4-5 game and avoiding those teams should be the goal. The Grizzlies cant play at the level theyve shown since the All-Star break and get there.

While the attention has been on Parsons, the biggest concern at the moment might be Marc Gasol. The Grizzlies can hope for secondary help, but this season has shown they cant depend on it. They need the Gasol-Mike Conley-Zach Randolph trio to carry them.

Gasol struggled defensively with younger, quicker centers in Dallas Noel and Houstons Clint Capella over the weekend and has been erratic on the offensive end for the past month. Hes topped 23 points in a game 20 times this season, but only once in the past month, and that in a home routagainst Phoenix, one of the NBAs very worst defenses.

Over the weekend, Gasol played 36 minutes in each half of a back-to-back. Setting aside his recovery from foot surgery, hes a 32-year-old center. Hes 17th in the NBA so far this season in total minutes. The only older players in the Top 20(and both just barely) are Carmelo Anthony and Lebron James. The only centers who have played more are Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert, ages 21 and 24, respectively. Gasol scoffs at such things, but is it unreasonable to wonder if hes worn down some?

Gasols three-point shooting percentages per month:

Regression to the mean? Slump? Random variance? Fatigue? All answers are possible. But for the Grizzlies to be good down the stretch and competitive in the playoffs, a return of All-NBA caliber Gasol is mandatory.

Elsewhere in the Playoff Race: The Grizzlies have been helped by Oklahoma Citys inability to win on the road. The Thunder went 0-3 on a long-weekend road trip and only the Indiana Pacers have been worse on the road among teams with winning records overall. This has helped the Grizzlies maintain a full game lead over the Thunder despite their own struggles, but the Thunder will play six of their next eight back at home.

The Clippers have been playing .500 ball for a while now, and the return of Chris Paul hasnt (yet) changed that. They have a tough one at home tonight against Boston before coming into Memphis for a big game on Thursday, on the second half of a road back-to-back.

The Jazz were my preseason pick to jump from the lottery to the Wests Top 4 and they seem to be strengthening their grip, building a three-game lead over the Grizzlies. But their schedule takes a much tougher turn after tonights home game against New Orleans. Standings as of today:

Game Minus Presentation?: So this happened over the weekend, and this reaction from Friend of Pick-and-Pop Tim Bontemps was common among full-time NBA media:

This would be a fun experiment for one game (and it happened in Memphis by accident for half a game last season), but I cant fully get behind the general idea. As a music nerd, I like the snippets Grizzlies DJs expertly sprinkle into game action (favorites: David Bowie, Tribe Called Quest, Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth). I like Mike Conleys Dad Jokes and Zach Randolphs Deep Thoughts. I like Bongo Lady and the Mike Conley Road Runner beep-beep, the ceremonial fourth quarter Whoomp! There It Is! and the occasional well-earned deployment of the Gap Band. This isnt just a Serious Sporting Event. Its a community party. There are elements of game presentation I dont like or, much more often, just dont care about, and I find it easy to tune those things out. No harm done.

All of that said, there is one aspect of game presentation Id march on the frontlines against: Can we please lower the volume on pre-game, in-arena music? I cant hear myself think, much less have a human conversation. I dont need to be engaged during the pregame shoot-around. I can fend for myself.

100 (Or So) Word Preview: The Grizzlies dont just need to start stringing together wins, they need to start playing better. But theres no upside tonight as the NBAs worst team, the Brooklyn Nets, make their lone FedExForum appearance of the season. The Grizzlies need to notch this win and to do so without strain or drama. A big win, as against Phoenix last week, wont really mean much. It just has to happen. If youre desperate for intrigue: Which center, Marc Gasol or Brooklyns Brook Lopez, makes more threes? If you want to worry: Best bet for being tonights Sam Dekker or Doug McDermott, the secondary wing scorer who has a career night? Keep an eye on Sean Kilpatrick.

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Pick-and-Pop: Parsons' 'progress,' weekend notes, more - The Commercial Appeal

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At its core, Ghost Recon: Wildlands is about information gathering. The drug dealers and terrorists you kill are just obstacles between your special ops unit and whatever clues you uncover. Hacking an enemy's computer or interrogating a wanted lieutenant can reveal half a dozen more leads and you're given the freedom to decide which lead to pursue next. Wildlands' openness and the flexibility of choice has, so far, been one of its strengths. Moreover, the first 10 hours of my playthrough amply provided a diverse sampling of what the greater game promises. It took little time to knock out the first batch of objectives, sample the local vehicles, and get reacquainted with the series' style of tactical gameplay.

Wildlands marks Ghost Recon's first foray into an open world, where its Bolivian setting is a playground of both destruction and distraction. You can infiltrate a stronghold with the best of stealthy intentions but you have to be prepared to wreck havoc the moment you're spotted. And the path to every main quest destination is littered with potential detours, whether it be an optional piece of intel or a medal that gives you a bonus skill point.

Ghost Recon's wild lands are expansive enough that using a helicopter is a practical method of transportation, given that the rocky region you start at isn't especially off-road friendly. The best part of taking a helicopter is jumping out of it and surprising enemies from above, provided you've unlocked the Parachute skill. Think of Wildlands as a less cartoony take on the Just Cause series with the all-business seriousness one expects from a Tom Clancy game.

Given the pre-launch videos and trailers' emphases on wanton mayhem and nondescript missions with friends, it was pleasing to watch a couple scene-setting cinematics shortly after firing up Wildlands. Even with the open world setting, I'm hopeful that it retains the series' emphasis on narrative and goal-driven missions. The ultimate goal is to take out El Sueo, the leader of the Santa Blanca drug cartel that essentially runs Bolivia. Your CIA contact, Karen Bowman also has a vindictive score to settle as one of her friends in the DEA was kidnapped and tortured to death by Santa Blanca. While revenge is a valid enough reason to upend a narco-state in the Clancyverse, I suspect that Karen might have other motives.

Forming squads has been one of Wildlands' more intriguing features during these initial hours. In keeping with Ghost Recon's history of team foursomes, having a full squad made up of your friends is the ideal experience. So far, a team of four humans with at least a modicum of experience in tactical shooters is a powerhouse in Wildlands even though enemy headcounts adjust to scale with the size of your team. Players who already have a squad in mind might want to consider starting off the game at the highest difficulty. However, playing solo with a squad of three AI companions offers its own unique benefits. When coordinating a synchronized kill of three targets, the AI is reasonably efficient in moving to reach line of sight within seconds. And they're more durable than your friends when taking fire, which is immensely helpful if they're out in the open healing you. What is puzzling is that you can't have a mixed team of humans and AI. If you and a friend are playing a private session, you can't round off your team with two AI operatives. What's all the more amusing is that you can still hear the story-related banter between all four squadmates.

There's comfort in falling into a tactical routine with your buddies as you reach the perimeter of every enemy outpost. This infiltration cycle begins when you use your tiny drone to survey the stronghold and mark all visible enemies. The ability to track marked enemies through multiple walls feels like cheating, though it hasn't diminished the appeal of the many other Tom Clancy games that use this feature. The openness of Wildlands makes this feature all the more essential and helps your team decide on the best strategy. It remains to be seen whether Wildlands retains the same gadget appeal of Ghost Recon: Future Soldier later on in the game, though perhaps a drone is all the advanced tech you need in Bolivia.

In the 10 hours I've spent on the road to liberate Bolivia of El Sueo's rule, I've unlocked 20-percent of the map. As I've slowly made my way through the hit list of underlings, I've been curious about the risks of sticking to the critical path, and whether there's such as thing as being underleveled in Wildlands. That said, it's been easy to take brief detours to earn extra experience and skills, thanks to the added efficiency of my teammates, AI-controlled or otherwise. Whatever path my journey takes, I know it will involve more diversions to earn extra abilities, the takedowns of the boss' lieutenants, and the elimination of El Sueo himself, which I estimate will take an additional 30 to 40 hours. Stay tuned for our full review in the coming days.

Originally posted here:

Ghost Recon: Wildlands Review In Progress - GameSpot

Former Maryland cornerback Will Likely looks around at some of the other participants at the NFL scouting combine and sees guys he played against in college or faced while growing up in Florida.

He admits it stings that he won't be competing with them Monday at Lucas Oil Stadium when the defensive backs get put through their on-field workouts, and that he can't show his speed and athleticism by running the 40-yard dash or doing the other testing.

However, given how far he already has come since his productive Terrapins career ended when he tore the ACL in his right knee while returning a punt Oct.15 against Minnesota, Likely isn't having too much trouble remaining patient.

"You have to run your own race, take it one day at a time and eventually you're going to be able to show what you can do," Likely said Sunday. "I'm way ahead of schedule. Just for me to get invited and just to be here, that's a blessing in itself. I don't take anything for granted."

Likely, the only Terp invited to the combine, will only do the bench press Monday as he continues his recovery from knee surgery. He expects to graduate to position drills on March 29 at Maryland's pro day. However, the past couple days have given Likely the opportunity to meet with teams and show them how much physical progress he has already made.

"I'm going to be back healthy, and whoever picks me will know what they're getting out of me," Likely said. " The coaches have been liking what they've heard and they like my film. That speaks for itself, but just getting to know those guys, just building a relationship with them, it's been pretty good."

Likely played 43 games at Maryland over parts of four seasons, registering 229 tackles, two sacks, seven interceptions and five forced fumbles. He established himself as a home-run threat with the ball in his hands, and one of the most dangerous return men in the country. He returned two interceptions, two kickoffs and four punts for touchdowns in his career and his 2,233 career kickoff return yards are the second most in Terps history.

At 5-foot-8, Likely understands he'll face skepticism in a league that covets big and long cornerbacks. However, he believes he has proven that he's a "competitor and a true playmaker." He also thinks his special teams prowess should help his draft status.

Likely said he has blocked out any talk about where he might be drafted, preferring to keep his focus on rehabbing his knee. He has been working in Phoenix with Brett Fischer, who runs a physical therapy and performance facility. About five months out from surgery, Likely is already running and doing other defensive back drills.

With his pro day 3 weeks away and the draft about eight weeks away, Likely is thrilled that he's in the position he's in.

"I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason," he said. "It's just a blessing that it happened at this point. Now, I know what it's like [to deal] with adversity. Once it's time to get ready to play on Sunday, I'll be past that and have a strong mindset. It will be full speed ahead."

Following Young's lead: Temple cornerback Nate Hairston hasn't needed to look very far to get motivation or advice as he goes through the scouting combine. Last year, his former teammate and close friend, Tavon Young, represented the Owls at the combine before he was drafted by the Ravens in the fourth round.

"Any time I needed something or had a question, that's like my best friend, that's like a brother to me," Hairston said Sunday. "I'm hitting him up [like] 'Hey, what about this or what about that?' And he'd always shoot me some advice all the time. That's like family to me. Him going through this process last year was a big help to me this year."

Hairston is a Frederick native who played high school football at Thomas Johnson High. Temple gave him his only scholarship offer and he transitioned from a wide receiver to a defensive back in time for his redshirt junior season. Now, like Young, he's on the cusp of making the NFL.

"Any time you see someone that you're that close to have that success, it's like, 'I can do it, too. I want to do it, too,'" Hairston said. "It definitely pushed us and made us chase the same dream."

End zone: Michigan pass rusher Taco Charlton said he would welcome going from one Harbaugh brother to the other. "I loved playing for Jim Harbaugh. I would love to play for John Harbaugh, just because I know how the other Coach Harbaugh was for us and he has that same passion for football." Texas A&M pass rusher Myles Garrett, the presumed first overall pick to the Cleveland Browns, ran a 4.64 40-yard dash Saturday. That was the fastest time among defensive linemen in the first on-field testing session. The majority of Ravens officials are expected to return to Baltimore late Monday following the conclusion of the defensive backs' workouts. The two-day free agent negotiation window, which precedes the market officially opening Thursday afternoon, begins Tuesday.

jeff.zrebiec@baltsun.com

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Maryland's Will Likely, unable to run at combine, pleased with progress of injured knee - Baltimore Sun

The RS17, fourth-quickest on pure laptimes among the F1 contingent in Barcelona, looks a major step change compared to the RS16. That car was compromised by the late takeover of the team but more weight has clearly been thrown behind this year's challenger.

The bargeboards and airflow conditioners are an extremely complex area of the car given the change in regulations for 2017. Renaults boomerang-shaped airflow conditioner is testament to this and features three slots in its lower surface in order to improve efficiency, while the bargeboard is shaped to maximize the upturned leading floor edge.

Nico Hulkenberg, Renault Sport F1 Team RS17 detail

Photo by: XPB Images

Details presented on the launch car looked somewhat different come Barcelona, with the curved cockpit fin (white arrow) now featuring a curved tip which will shed a very specific type of vortex and the planned twin vortex generator alongside (red arrow) changed for just a longer, singular appendage.

Jolyon Palmer, Renault Sport F1 Team RS17

Photo by: XPB Images

The team also introduced a blown axle solution during testing which will assist the front wing in dealing with the wake generated by the front tyre.

Renault R.S.17 illegal wing support

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

The legality of Renaults rear wing support pillar was questioned by several teams following the car's unveiling, as it connected directly to the DRS actuator pod rather than connecting with the mainplane (arrowed). Of course, Renault wanted to use this solution as it improves the performance of the rear wing, given the mainplane is less disturbed.

It's understood that the FIA has since clarified their position, advising that the design must be tweaked ahead of the Australian Grand Prix in order that the pillar intersect with the mainplane.

Renault R.S.17 rear wing, captioned

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Toward the end of the first test, the team also trialled a tall upper flap with a large central V cut, which is likely for simulation purposes - its height will undoubtedly be called into question if the team was to try to run it during a race weekend, as the flap clearly exceeds the 800mm height for bodywork behind the rear wheel centerline mentioned in article 3.6.2 of the technical regulations.

Although that's not to say that Renault hasn't found a contradictory statement in the minutia of details that connect one article in the regulations with another.

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Tech analysis: How Renault made big progress with its 2017 car - Motorsport.com, Edition: Global

Washington Redskins coach Jay Gruden sounded hip -- or at least with it -- for a second.

Receiver Josh Doctson posted video of himself on Snapchat recently performing agility drills and catching passes. It was a good step for a player coming off a frustrating Achilles injury.

Now we see him doing things on Snapchat, Gruden told reporters at the scouting combine. Heck, I follow him.

Gruden saw it on Snapchat? Shows over, folks.

I dont even know what that is, Gruden admitted. But its good to see him out there running, doing football drills. Josh is really working hard, man. Thats half the battle. We fully anticipate him being healthy.

If youre possibly going to lose your top two receivers, you need the guy you drafted in the first round to be ready to step up. The Redskins still havent contacted Pierre Garcon to discuss a new contract, and the whispers surrounding DeSean Jackson link him more with Tampa Bay than the Redskins. But until they sign elsewhere, the Redskins could always swoop in with a last-minute generous offer. Barring that, the Redskins will need more from their current group of receivers -- especially Doctson, who was limited to two catches in two games his rookie season.

Thats why his progress this offseason is encouraging. If and when he's healthy, Doctson, who showed an ability in college to track the ball well down the field, would provide the Redskins a good-sized target at 6-foot-2.

His inability to return does not stem from a lack of love for the game, multiple sources have said throughout the last six months. Rather, the injury issue simply wouldnt go away without extended rest. As it continued, Doctson went from having a problem in just his right foot to both feet.

Those from him his past likely would remind anyone that this is the same kid who went from lightly recruited out of high school to Wyoming to TCU walk-on to a first-round pick. Thats part of what attracted the Redskins to him in the first place.

And they viewed him as a top-10 pick -- and the only receiver who would tempt them in the first round last April. After his early workouts with the team, mostly while facing rookies, the coaches were ecstatic. Then the injury occurred May 25 and Doctson was never a factor the rest of the year.

He will have a major impact on this offense once we get him healthy, Gruden said. Thats the biggest thing for him: Can you take the strides necessary to get healthy? We see him in the weight room all the time, working hard. Theyll get him right. Hell get himself right.

But Gruden knows that Doctson must show he can do these drills for an extended period without having the issue return. Both want the cross-your-finger optimism in March to translate into no worries by July. Thats when theyll know Doctson has escaped his issues.

Theres still a long way to go, Gruden said.

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Jay Gruden encouraged by Josh Doctson's progress, says WR has 'long way to go' - ESPN (blog)

Recent weeks have seen numerous personnel developments at The Daily Progress.

Lowell Miller, a 25-year newspaper veteran and advertising director for the Central Virginia Media Group since 2015, is returning to his native Nebraska to handle major accounts for the Omaha World-Herald, also part of the Berkshire Hathaway Media Group. Miller previously worked for the World-Herald.

The Central Virginia Media Group includes The Daily Progress, The (Waynesboro) News Virginian, the Orange County Review, the Greene County Record and the Madison County Eagle.

Miller, 40, of Crozet, is succeeded by Frank Dubec. Dubec, 41, of Charlottesville, has a wealth of experience serving creative solutions to advertisers in multiple formats, including print, digital and events. He is a former publisher of the C-VILLE Weekly and formerly ran the digital advertising agency Deep Soil. He will oversee the sales, service and design operations of the Central Virginia groups 30-person sales department and develop and implement strategies with Publisher Rob Jiranek.

Paul Wash has been named circulation director of the group. Wash, 55, of Waynesboro, is a newspaper circulation veteran who worked at the Richmond Times-Dispatch for more than 30 years. In 2007, he became circulation director of The News Virginian and late last year joined The Daily Progress as home delivery manager.

The demand for our product in both print and digital proves that we are No. 1 in providing the community with information, sports, entertainment and much more. Fulfilling that daily for our readers is what drives our department, Wash said.

Miguel Coradine replaces Wash as home delivery manager, responsible for home delivery and digital access for the group. Coradine, 37, of Charlottesville, previously worked as a newspaper circulation manager and has experience supervising carrier networks and managing customer service.

Brandon Barfield has been promoted to audience sales manager, responsible for sales and marketing for the newspaper group.

Barfield, 31, of Orange County, has a background in magazine publishing.

Managing the transition of print to digital readership is a fascination for me, he said, and developing stronger competency in making our content more conveniently available to our audience is what inspires us.

Aaron Richardson returns to The Daily Progress as an assistant city editor. Richardson, 29, of Charlottesville, was a reporter for the newspaper from 2011 to 2014. He has covered education, business and development for Daily Progress news partner Charlottesville Tomorrow for the past year.

In our lives, we might get one shot to make a newspaper truly great for its city. And while it may sound a little earnest, we feel a sense of destiny that now is our shot. Readers get ready: Were on a mission, and this newspaper is getting better, Jiranek said.

The rest is here:

Daily Progress announces several leadership changes - The Daily Progress

As Colorado Rockies spring training 2017 rolls on, we want to make sure we are giving you regular progress reports as opposed to just individual game notes. We will still be providing those more from time to time, but if you follow the Rockies at this time of year looking less at the box score and more at how what is happening now might affect the upcoming season, these reports should be far more helpful.

With each, we will give you an update on players who stock is going up and those who are going down, with specific attention paid to those on the bubble at any given position. Its always nice to check in on Nolan Arenado and Carlos Gonzalez, but almost nothing they do this spring is going to change their perceived role heading into the season.

After taking a look at individual performances, we will wrap up with some miscellaneous notes from the week.

Gerardo Parra With the injury to David Dahl, Parra is taking advantage of every possible resource he needs to capture the starting spot in left field. So far in five games, Parra is hitting .364 with one double, three RBI and three (yes, three) walks.

Miguel Castro Castro is looking to bounce back from an up-and-down 2016 campaign. The 22-year-old has made three appearances, throwing2 1/3 innings while giving up two hits and striking out two.

Tony Wolters Colorados potential Opening Day catcher loves Spring Training. Like last year,Wolters is thriving in the early goings. Tony is hitting .545 with one double, one home run and four RBI.

Jeff Hoffman Looking to capture the fifth and final rotation spot, Hoffman has put up solid numbers in two outings. Hoffman has logged 3 2/3 innings, giving up one run (not earned) on five hits while striking out three.

Zach Jemiola The 22-year-old is making the most of hisoutings early on. In four appearances, Jemiola has given up just one hit over four innings while striking out two.

Mark Reynolds Reynolds is looking to capture a roster spot, but it wont be as a starter. The addition of Ian Desmond forces the veteran to be a backup unless an injury occurs. In five games, Reynolds is hitting .364 with a double and an RBI.

Jordan Patterson Patterson has hit the ball with authority this spring, launching two home runs and four doubles in 17 at-bats. As weve discussed at BSN Denver, if he keeps this up and Cristhian Adames and/or Alexi Amarista dont do enough to separate themselves, the Rockies have enough versatility to carry Patterson instead of one of those two guys.

Jordan Lyles Since the demotion to the bullpen, things still havent gone Lyles way on the mound. In two appearances thus far, the right-hander has given up five runs on five hits two of which were viathe long ball.

German Marquez Marquez is one of the names in discussion for the final rotation spot, but hes not helping his cause. In two appearances, one start, Marquez has given up four runs on five hits while walking two and striking out a pair.

Kyle Freeland Another candidate for the final rotation spot, Freeland like Marquez is struggling out of the gate. The southpaw has made one start, giving up fourruns (three earned) on two hits while walking two as well as striking out two.

Tom Murphy Murphy will be one of two catchers cracking the team, but for now its looking to be Wolters job to lose.The power-hitting backstop is hitting just .143 in five games played.

Alexi Amarista Amarista was signed to be a utility player and perhaps a little bias from his previous, now current, manager Bud Black. The27-year-old is hitting .125 in four games played.

Excerpt from:

Colorado Rockies Spring Training 2017: Progress Report 1 - BSN Denver

Amanda Thames AmandaThames

Its not vans with drivers promising free candy to kids that parents need to worry about today, officials say. Its social media.

Most of the sex offenders who prey on children who are strangers to them do their preying on Facebook, chat rooms, and mobile apps, said Maj. Chris Thomas with the Onslow County Sheriffs Office.

Conversations and requests from predators range between sending inappropriate photos, asking for a meeting, and asking for sexual favors, Thomas said.

It leads to a question: Should convicted sex offenders be allowed to have a Facebook page?

The Supreme Court is reviewing that question now. A North Carolina law that allowed prosecution against convicted sex offenders using social media pages was deemed unconstitutional in 2013.

Since that ruling (the statute) has not been enforced, Thomas said.

While Thomas believes its up to the courts to decide what is or is not constitutional, the whole objective is to protect children as much as you can, he said.

The Supreme Court began looking over a lawsuit Monday to make a ruling, the Associated Press reported.

It began with Lester Packingham Jr.

Packingham, 36, was forbidden by a 2008 North Carolina law from using commercial social networking sites like Facebook that children could join. Thats because hes a registered sex offender who was convicted of indecent liberties with a minor when he was 21. He served 10 months in prison.

After a trip to traffic court, Packingham announced on Facebook that his pending ticket was dismissed.

No fine. No Court costs. No nothing. Praise be to God. Wow. Thanks, Jesus, Packingham wrote in a 2010 post, which led to the lawsuit heard by the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday.

A Durham police officer investigated Packinghams post and determined he used an alias rather than his real name. Packingham was prosecuted, convicted of a felony and received a suspended prison sentence. His lawyers say no evidence pointed to Packingham using Facebook or his computer to communicate with minors or that he posted anything inappropriate or obscene.

Now the Supreme Courts task is deciding whether the law, meant to prevent communications between sex offenders and minors via social media, is so broad that it violates the Constitutions free-speech protections.

The case reaches the Supreme Court after it was upheld by North Carolinas highest court in a divided ruling. The law addressed websites that might allow sex offenders to gather information about minors, the state court said. But dissenting justices argued the ban extends further and could outlaw reading the New York Times and Food Network website.

The statute, N.C. 14-202.5, says, It is unlawful for a sex offender who is registered in accordance with Article 27A of Chapter 14 of the General Statutes to access a commercial social networking Web site where the sex offender knows that the site permits minor children to become members or to create or maintain personal Web pages on the commercial social networking Web site.

If the statute is ruled constitutional, Thomas said it would be used in Onslow County to some degree. People on the sex offender registry are watched and checked up on regularly to ensure theyre following guidelines, Thomas said, and if the statute comes back into play, it will be another way to check on them.

I think forbidding (sex offenders) from being on those sites is a good step to preventing future victims, Thomas said.

However, the best way to prevent these crimes is for parents to check in on their kids, Thomas said.

The biggest thing for parents is to know what their children are doing, especially when theyre online, he said.

Stay up-to-date on new phone apps and how they work, Thomas said. See what photos theyre taking and who theyre sending them to.

Once someone puts an image online, its gone forever, Thomas said. The receiver can screenshot or download the photo and send it wherever they want.

Set ground rules as well, according to a report from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.

Children should only use tablets, cell phones, and computers in public areas of the house so others can occasionally see whats on the screen, according to the SBI. Also keep an eye on games, as predators often use gaming chats to make initial contact with victims.

Communication with your child and talking with your child is probably the best preventative measure, Thomas said.

As of Friday no decision from the Supreme Court had been announced.

The Associated Press contributed to this story

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Ruling on social media rights for sex offenders in progress - Jacksonville Daily News

From apartments, to office space, to a grocery store, there are several major projects underway within the city.

UTICA From apartments to office space to a grocery store, there are several major projects underway within the city.

In an end-of-the-year message, Mayor Robert Palmieri said that the city had successfully marketed and sold 12 major commercial properties to private developers. Ten of those are in the city's downtown/Bagg's Square corridor.

These 10 downtown properties alone have combined for more than $1 million in sales, put nearly $6 million of assessed property value back on the tax rolls and cultivated more than $34 million in private investment, Palmieri wrote.

"Several of these anchor buildings were just sold in the past year including the Rite Aid, New Century and Security buildings," Palmieri wrote. "When you consider other major projects like the renovation of the Doyle Hardware building, you can see and feel a significant change in our community."

Here's a look at some of the projects taking place within the city:

"As with all of todays ALDI stores, the interior of the Utica store will present a modern, new look featuring higher ceilings, increased natural lighting and environmentally friendly building materials, such as energy-saving refrigeration and LED lighting,"said Aaron Sumida, ALDI Tully Division vice president, in a statement.

Sumida said that they hope to open the store by early summer.

ConMed building

Hayner Hoyt, a commercial construction company from Syracuse, is developing the former ConMed property at 310 Broad St. into mixed use, including apartments and office space.The thINCubator, which is overseen by the Mohawk Valley Community College Foundation, and the college's masonry and carpentry programs also have moved into space in the complex.

Gary Thurston,Hayner Hoyt CEO and chairman, said work has not started on the complex's main building. The current design for that building includes 24 apartments on the second, third and fourth floors and office and/or commercial space on the first floor.

"The design was completed recently," Thurston said. "We are in the process of seeking financing for the completion of the four-story building."

Thurston said in July the company had hoped to start work on the apartments in the fall but now is hoping to start work in the next two months.

"Our progress was delayed through the fall waiting for a decision on historic designation for the building and/or area," he said. "That has been secured."

Rescue Mission apartments

The Rescue Mission of Utica is in the process of buildinganapproximately 54,000-square-foot, three-story, 42-unit apartment building on property at 1013 West St.Half of the first floor of the building will be used for some community services offered by the mission.

Crews are in the process of demolishing theexisting building at the site, which once housed several hotels and apartments over the last 100 years

Jim Haid, the mission's executive director, said that crewshave done excavating on the site to get ready for the foundation work.

The project, which will cost approximately $14 million, is expected to be completed by March 2018.

Follow @OD_Gerould on Twitter or call him at 315-792-4995.

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ALDI, ConMed, Rescue Mission projects progress - Utica Observer Dispatch